Vending-machine.



R.I BRITTON. VENDING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION IILBD OUT. 17, 1903.

PATBNTED MAR. 29, 1904.

8 SHEETS8HEET 1.

anvanfoc 5 No. 756,154. PATBNTED MAR. 29, 1904. R. BRITTON. VENDINGMACHINE.

APPLICATION IILED OUT. 17, 1903.

H0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 No. 756.154. PATENTED MAR; 29,-1904'.

' R. BRITTON. VENDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION run!) 001-. 11, 1903. fno 1mm.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

7 which they may be successively released, said v and pointed out in theclaims.

. coin-operated vendingmachine embodying shaped carrier, which ismounted freely by its UNITED STATES Patented March 29, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROBB BRITTON, or oLrEroN, PENNsYLvANIA, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK H.

FLEER & ooMPANY, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A colt PORATION OFDELAWARE.

VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming; part of Letters Patent No. 756,154, dated March29, 1904.

Application filed October 1'7, 1903.

To all whom it may concern.-

have invented new and useful Improvements in Vending-Machines, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates'to a vending-machine of the order of coincontrolled or operated embodying a drum, a reel, cylinder, or othershaped carrier upon which pieces, cakes, or other objects maybeprimarily stored and from carrier being subjected to the action ofspring, which imparts motion to the same, controlled intermittently byintermediate mechanism which is primarily actuated'by a coin properlyintroduced into the machine.

The invention consists of the novel construction of parts, as will behereinafter described,

,Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a my invention.v Fig. 2represents a vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 represents a sideelevation of a portion thereof at a right angle to Fig. 1. Fig. 4:represents a section of a portion of parts shown in Fig. 1 detached.Fig. 5 represents a perspective view of the upper portion of thecoin-chute employed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the frame of the machine, on theupright portions or standards of which is mounted thehorizontally-extending shaft B.

G designates a drum, reel, cylinder, or other central sleeve B on saidshaft B and has at its side the spring-pressed pawl D, which is adaptedtoengage with the teeth of a ratchet E, whose hub is firmly secured tosaid shaft B. Secured to said shaft aside of said ratchet is aspur-wheel F, which meshes with the pinion G, whose shaft H is mountedon the adjacent portion ofthe frame A and carries the escapement J.Mounted on the frame below the escapement J is the verge or pallet K,

Serial No. 177,411. (No model.)

from which depends the arm L, whose lower end is provided with theinclined foot Connected with said verge and adjacent portion of theframe A is the spring N, whose tendencyis to assist in returning saidverge to its normal position and holding it thereat.

P designates a chute which is adapted to receive the coin by which themachine is primarily operated, the same being firmly secured to a properportion of the frameA and open throughout from top to bottom, its lowerend being inclined, as at Q, against which abuts the foot M in thenormal position of the verge K. Mounted on the upper portion of theframe is the shaft R, to which is firmly secured the roller S, on whichis wound the strap T, which extends from said. roller over the peripheryof the drum 0 and has its outer end portion set out from the drum andconnected with the latter by a loop at T, it being.

noticed that said strap is pliable or flexible in its nature, so as'toyield and permit of the storage of the pieces, cakes, or other objectsto be vended on said drum between the same and said strap, it beingnoticed that the periphery of said drum is composed in part of crossrodsC and encircling bands CZ'whereby said ery and prevented from fallingtherethrough.

objects are properly sustained on said periph- The-bands 0 leaveportions of thelengths of cross bars or. rods O uncovered, so that theloop of the strap T may be connected with either of said rods in orderto properly adjust the place of attachment of the strap with the drum inassembling the members of the machine. Furthermore, the end of the strapmay turn on the cross-rod, so as to deflect said end to form a stop forthe beginning of the row of objects placed on the drum and to set-outthe strap to allow the row of objects to be placed thereunder, as mostplainly shown in Fig. 1.

Keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft R isthe pinion or lantern wheelU, with which gears the spur-wheel V, whose shaft: V has Connected witha cross-bar at the upper end of the frame A are the spring-fingers Y,which project freely from the periphery of the drum C and above the samefor temporarily holding the objects at about the end of the row of thesame after they are relieved of the strap T, as most clearly shown inFig. l.

Rising from the base of the casing of the machine is the guide Z, whoseupper portion extends close to the periphery of the drum C at what maybe termed the discharge side of the machine. For purposes of clearnessthe casing of the machine has been removed. The chute P is somewhattwisted in its nature and has its front opened, its back closed, and theside flanged and made of such dimensions that a coin of properdenomination when introduced into the inlet end of the chute will beretained in its downward motion within the chute by said flanged sidesand caused to descend to full extent, when it will be imposed orimpacted upon or against the foot of the Verge-arm L, as has beenstated. Should, however, a coin of smaller size be introduced into saidchute, it will not be engaged by the flanged sides, but owing to theopen front of the chute it will drop therefrom into the bot; tom of thecasing of the machine without reaching the foot M and weighting andoperating the same.

The operation is as follows: The pieces, cakes, or other objects to bevended are placed on the periphery of the drum between the same and thestrap T, said drum being rotated by hand as the pieces are fed intoposition. During the rotation of the drum the pawl D rides freely overthe ratchet E, the latter remaining at rest. The objects are nowsubjected to the pressure of said strap, whereby they are retained onthe drum as a circular row. (See Fig. 1.) The strap pays out as therotating drum draws it along, and the roller S is thereby rotated andwith it the shaft R. This rotates the pinion U and wheel V and causesthe coiling or winding of the spring W, whose tendency, when the drum issubsequently released, is to cause the reverse rotation of the drum,which, however, is inmittently controlled by the engagement of the vergeK with the escapement J, the latter being geared over to the drumthrough the intermediate parts, as has been stated, and the verge-arm Lbearing against the bottom of the chute P as a stop. As the drum hasbeen supplied with objects. the machine is in condition for use. A coinof proper denomination is now inserted into the chute P, when itdescends the same and imposes its weight on the foot M, thus moving thearm L from the abutment Q of the chute, in the present case to theright, thus opening the bottom of the chute, when the coin dropstherefrom and rolls down the foot M into a place of deposit orcollection. The motion of the arm L now capement, allowing the latter torotate the distance of one tooth, when as the escapement is geared withthe drum and the latter and the escapement are now subjected to thepower of the spring W as a motor therefor said drum rotates and advancesthe objects on the drum to the left, when, as in Fig. 1, the objectspass out from under the strap T and ride under the spring-fingers Y, andthen the advanced object that clears the latter slides down the drum andreaches the guide Z, whereby its upper end, which is close to the-periphery of the drum, diverts the object from said periphery and itsouter side assists in directing it to the exit-opening in the easing ofthe machine, from whence it may be removed. As the verge engages withthe next advancing tooth of the escapement, the latter is again lockedor controlled and rotation of the drum ceases, the remaining objectsbeing controlled on the drum until another coin is introduced into thechute P, when the arm L is again actuated, the verge and escapementbeing operated as before, and the drum is again advanced, limited by theintermittent motion of the escapement, and so the next object on theleft removed from under the spring-finger Y is released and permitted todrop from the drum, it then reaching the exit-opening, as in theprevious case, and thus the operations continue.

It will be noticed that one limb of the verge has a rounded or beveledface K, over which the advancing tooth of the escapement is adapted toride and press against, thus lowering said limb and forcing the arm Ltoward the chute. Then said tooth abuts against the shoulder K on theother limb and in a manner interlocks therewith, thus assuring thelocation of the foot M against the face Q of the chute.

Various changes maybe made in the details of construction shown withoutdeparting from the general spirit of my invention, and I do not,therefore, desire to be limited in each case to the same.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a vending-machine, a rotary drum having cross-rods on theperiphery thereof,

in combination with an object-holding strap on said periphery, the samebeing movably connected at one end with one of said crossrods and setout therefrom.

2. In a vending-machine, a rotary drum having cross-rods on theperiphery thereof, a band on portions of the lengths of said rods, anobject-holding strap connected at one end with one of said rods andbeing set out from the same, and a spring-controlled reel to which theother end of the strap is attached.

3. In a vending-machine, a rotary drum having cross-rods on theperiphery thereof,

causes the verge to trip one tooth of the es .a band on portions of thelengths of said rods,

IIO

an object-holding strap connected at one end With one of said rods andbeing set out from the same, a springcontrolled reel to which the otherend of said strap is attached, and a device for detaining said drum atintervals.

4:. In a vending-machine, a rotary drum, an object-holding strapthereon, a reel, means for Winding said strap on said reel, and aresilient brake extending over the periphery of said drum in advance ofsaid strap.

5. In a vending-machine, a drum having cross-rods at the peripheralportion thereof,

and an object-support sustained on said rods, in combination with anencircling object-retainer connected With one of said rods.

6. In a vending-machine, an object-holding drum, an object-retainingdevice over the periphery of said drum, and a brake over said drum inadvance of the terminal of the retaining action of said device.

